Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Wordless and then Wordy Wednesday





Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.


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This month, River is hosting Words for Wednesday, in which two groups of 6 words are provided, and you are challenged to write a story for each set, or one story incorporating them all.  The list of prompt words and my story follows: 

This week's words are:

1. puffing
2. candles
3. confused
4. fishing
5. supreme
6. almost

and/or:

1. eight
2. despicable
3. banner
4. shave
5. flowers
6. frowning


He walked in from his FISHING trip tired, hungry, and needing a SHAVE.  The sudden noise of everyone yelling "Surprise!" CONFUSED him and made him ALMOST jump out of his skin.

There was a "Happy Birthday" BANNER over the dining table that was decorated with FLOWERS and a cake with CANDLES all ready to be lit.  EIGHT of his friends were gathered, smiling with the knowledge that they had pulled it off.

He had the DESPICABLE thought of turning around, getting in his truck, and heading back down to his fishing camp.  He knew, though, that these people cared about him and were trying to do something nice for him.  With SUPREME effort, he resisted FROWNING and asked leave of them to take a quick shower.  He didn't let them see as he was PUFFING out his cheeks and shaking his head on his way down the hall.  He would come back and enjoy the party, and sleep in tomorrow.



Today is:

American Quilter's Society Quilt Exposition -- Grand Rapids, MI, US (their largest show; through Saturday)

Baba Au Rhum Day -- of course, on rum day, bake some cake with the stuff!

Bratwurst Day

Children's Day -- Paraguay

Daimonji Bonfire -- Mt. Nyoigadake, Kyoto, Japan (spectacular bonfires in the shapes of word pictures on the mountains surrounding the city)

Elvis Presley Day -- can you believe he's been gone 40 years?

Festival of the Minstrels -- Tutbury Castle, UK (middle ages; celebrated with great pomp, as the Duke of Lancaster had decreed that they each year elect a new king of the minstrels)

Fete de l'Independance -- Gabon (National Day)

Harmonic Convergence Day -- modern followers of Maya and Aztec calendars

Joe Miller's Joke Day -- anniversary of the death of English comic actor Joseph Miller in 1738

Madonna del Voto Day -- Siena, Italy (a/k/a Palio dell'Assunta, 2nd of the traditional yearly horse races)

National Airborne Day -- US (honors all Airborne Military)

National Medical Dosimetrist's Day -- American Association of Medical Dosimetrists (medical radiation safety experts) 

National Tell a Joke Day -- seems internet generated, but probably related to Joe Miller Joke Day

National Rum Day

Remember What Your Spouse Wore the First Time You Met Day -- internet generated and dangerous!

Restoration of the Republic -- Dominican Republic

Roller Coaster Day -- the first one was patented this day in 1898

St. Roch's Day (Patron of bachelors, dogs, falsely accused people, invalids, surgeons, tile makers; of over 20 cities in Italy as well as Istanbul, Turkey; for relief from pestilence; against cholera, diseased cattle, epidemics, knee problems, plague [Black Death], skin diseases and rashes) 

St. Stephen of Hungary's Day (Patron of bricklayers, kings, masons, stonecutters; Hungary; against the death of children)

Xicolatada -- Palau-de-Cerdagne, France (hot chocolate festival)*


Anniversary Today:

Sean Penn marries Madonna, 1985
Paul Simon marries Carrie Fisher, 1983
Gioachino Antonio Rossini marries Olympe Pélissier, 1846


Birthdays Today:

Seth Peterson, 1970
Steve Carell, 1963
Laura Innes, 1960
Timothy Hutton, 1960
Angela Bassett, 1958
Madonna, 1958
Jeff Perry, 1955
James Cameron, 1954
Kathie Lee Gifford, 1953
Reginald VelJohnson, 1952
Leslie Ann Warren, 1946
Julie Newmar, 1935
Eydie Gorme, 1932
Frank Gifford, 1930
Ann Blyth, 1928
Fess Parker, 1925
Menachem Begin, 1913
George Meany, 1894
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia), 1888
Bernarr Macfadden, 1868
Amos Alonzo Stagg, 1862
Hongxi Emperor of China, 1378


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Siegfried"(Opera, WWV 86C), 1876


Today in History:

Henry VIII defeats the French at the Battle of Guinegate/Battle of the Spurs, forcing the French to retreat, 1513
Jack Broughton formulates the earliest code of rules for boxing, 1743
Chang and Eng Bunker, the original "Siamese" twins, arrive in Boston to be exhibited, 1829
U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, 1858
Arica, Peru (now Chile) is devastated by a tsunami which followed a magnitude 8.5 earthquake, 1868
Gold is discovered in the Klondike, at Bonanza Creek, 1896
Edwin Prescott patents the roller coaster, 1898
In Valparaiso, Chile, an 8.6 earthquake followed by fire destroys the city and kills 20,000, 1906
The first color sound cartoon, called Fiddlesticks, is made by Ub Iwerks, 1930
Democrats nominate Adlai E. Stevenson as presidential candidate, 1956
Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico at 102,800 feet (31,300 m), setting three records that still stand today: High-altitude jump, free-fall, and highest speed by a human without an aircraft, 1960
A solar flare from the Sun creates a geomagnetic storm that affects micro chips, leading to a halt of all trading on Toronto's stock market, 1989
For only 2nd time Stanley Cup leaves North America (heads to Russia), 1997
In England, two men who created a Facebook site to incite violence during the riots are sentenced to four years imprisonment, 2011



*Yes, they celebrate a hot chocolate festival in the summer.  It all started when the 15th of August was a feast day on which the locals always drank a bit much, and the chocolatier of the town claimed his brew was a good remedy the day after.  The original festival on the 15th has ceased, but the hot chocolate is brewed to this day, served at 11am promptly.

16 comments:

  1. Happy birthday to the birthday person! Ha ha he was hoping to take a shower, take his dinner and hop onto bed....but all that have to put on hold as his dear friends are all there to celebrate his birthday!

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  2. That's a true kitty feat!

    https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2017/08/nyc-at-10-pm-its-true-that-new-york.html

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  3. Loved your story. I'm sure after a refreshing shower he'll be up to celebratidng.

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  4. That second cat photo looks just like my grand kitty, Missy Moo. I don't know, maybe she sneaks out at night and visits with you folks up in New Orleans ;)

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  5. liked the today in history- very interesting. Cute photos of the kitty too.

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  6. Such cute kitties. Great job with the word prompts. :)

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  7. Aww on the kitties. So cute.

    Loved the great story from the word prompts. You do these so very well.

    Have a fabulous Wordless Wednesday. ☺

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  8. Good story and I could picture my husband and the way he would feel about a surprise birthday party. LOL

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  9. You're very good at this. Each of your stories could be expanded into something larger.

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  10. Good afternoon Mimi. I hope your day is a great one. See Ya.

    Cruisin Paul

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  11. I love your use of the words - and hope that his shower freshens him up enough to either enjoy the party - or to convince his friends he is.

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  12. Elvis Presley is my favourite singer

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  13. I could certainly celebrate Bratwurst Day, but someone else will have to attend the roller coaster celebration.

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  14. Thank you for joining us, I loved the way the words fit right in to your story.

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  15. I enjoyed your story. The time my family surprised me with a birthday party it took me a minute to get over my disappointment that we weren't going for High Tea at a swish hotel. Only a minute, mind.

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  16. I need to check out the challenge. You did very well with it! Love the WW cats, too. Hugs.

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